Computer systems shrink in size and increase in power at an astounding rate. While computer users were at one time willing to dedicate an entire floor or even building to computer components, today the market demands that computer power be provided with a small footprint. Footprint is the amount of floorspace that is taken up by the computer component. In order to minimize floorspace, large multicomponent computer systems are often arranged in racks. The computer components are provided in a standard-sized, rectangular chassis. Each chassis is stacked in a rack so that a large number of computer components can be stored in a space having the footprint of a single chassis.
A conventional rack may have two posts to which shelves are attached in between. The computer components can then be placed on the shelves. This arrangement wastes vertical space because the shelves separate each computer chassis from the ones above and below it.
Another conventional rack may have four posts arranged in a rectangle with each computer chassis attached to all of the posts. Unfortunately, this arrangement increases the labor necessary to perform computer administration, because the chassis is detached at each post when removed. When a chassis is fixed in position with neighbors above and below it, removal is necessary to access the inside of the chassis. Once the chassis is detached from the posts, it is no longer supported and may be dropped and damaged or else moved to a surface such as a table for work to be done.
A third conventional system may use ball bearing mounted, multi-part, sliding arms that are attached to the inside of a cabinet. The arms are then fixedly attached to the sides of a chassis. These mounting systems are very expensive. They may allow access to a chassis, but removing or adding a chassis may still involve the task of detaching screws or bolts.